Method and means for husbanding marine organisms

Abstract

A method and means for enhancing, encouraging and facilitating the growth of various species of marine life in an aqueous environment uses a nutrient mix derived from chemicals such as calcium carbonate and refined lanolin. When placed upon organic substrate support materials such as corn cobs and/or oyster shells and submerged in the presence of certain temperate zone climatic conditions, resulting marine life may be harvested for further commercial utilization or it may be allowed to remain in situ for "natural" utilization such as, for example, attracting ducks, geese and/or other species of waterfowl to a marine habitat.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method of husbanding the evolution of marine organisms in an aqueous medium comprising the steps of: combining a selected mineral mix and a selected chemical compound in substantially equal parts by volume to form a nutrient paste;   coating at least one side of a substrate support member with the said nutrient paste;   submerging the coated substrate support member in an aqueous medium at a selected depth not substantially in excess of ten feet below the surface thereof, in the presence of a life-form supporting structure having substantially all of its surface area exposed to substantially unrestricted media flow past said surface along at least three orthogonal axes;   exposing the surface of the aqueous medium to climatic conditions not substantially different from conditions prevailing along the Mid-Atlantic Coast of the United States, to allow the desired growth to occur.   
     
     
       2. A method of husbanding the evolution of marine organisms in accordance with claim 1, wherein: said chemical compound is selected from the group consisting of fish oil, refined lanolin and linseed oil.   
     
     
       3. A method of husbanding the evolution of marine organisms in accordance with claim 1, wherein: a plurality of the coated substrate support members are enclosed within a nutrient cage formed of plastic coated wire mesh, substantially filling the volume of said nutrient cage, prior to said submerging step.   
     
     
       4. A method of husbanding the evolution of marine organisms in accordance with claim 1, wherein: said selected chemical compound is refined lanolin.   
     
     
       5. A method of husbanding the evolution of marine organisms in accordance with claim 4, wherein: said refined lanolin comprises substantially 35.4% esters of sterols and triterpene alcohols, 23.7% esters of aliphatic alcohols, 20.0% monohydroxyesters of sterols and of triterpene and aliphatic alcohols, 7.9% di- and polyhydroxyesters and free diols, 5.6% free aliphatic alcohols, 4.1% free sterols, 0.6% free hydrocarbons, 0.5% free fatty adds, and 2.2% unknowns.   
     
     
       6. A method of husbanding the evolution of marine organisms in accordance with claim 1, wherein: said selected chemical compound is linseed oil.   
     
     
       7. A method of husbanding the evolution of marine organisms in accordance with claim 1, wherein: the said selected mineral mix is derived from hydrated oyster shells in powder form comprising by weight, substantially 50% calcium, 0.1% phosphorus, 0.3% magnesium and 0.2% each of potassium and sodium.   
     
     
       8. A method of husbanding the evolution of marine organisms in accordance with claim 7, wherein: said hydrated oyster shells are formed from oyster shells by heating said oyster shells to a temperature within the range of 2000° F. to 2400° F. for at least five hours to dehydrate them and then mixing the dehydrated shells with low mineral content water in a liquid measure ratio of approximately three parts water to one part powder, to cause an exothermic reaction that reduces the shells to a powder form when the water has been thoroughly absorbed.   
     
     
       9. A method of husbanding the evolution of marine organisms in accordance with claim 1, wherein: said substrate support member is selected from the group consisting of oyster shells and corn cobs.   
     
     
       10. A method of husbanding the evolution of marine organisms in accordance with claim 1, wherein: said life-form supporting structure is formed of plastic coated wire mesh.   
     
     
       11. A method of husbanding the evolution of marine organisms in accordance with claim 10, wherein: the wire forming said wire mesh is substantially of 18 gauge.   
     
     
       12. A method of husbanding the evolution of marine organisms in accordance with claim 1, wherein: said coated substrate support member is enclosed within a nutrient cage having walls formed of plastic coated wire mesh, for the submerging step.   
     
     
       13. A method of husbanding the evolution of marine organisms in accordance with claim 12, wherein: the submersion step is carried out with said nutrient cage enclosed within a crab pot structure to provide protection for life-forms supported on said supporting structure.   
     
     
       14. A method of husbanding the evolution of marine organisms in accordance with claim 13, wherein: said crab pot structure incorporates walls formed of plastic coated wire mesh, and said life form supporting structure is defined by said wire mesh.   
     
     
       15. A method of husbanding the evolution of marine organisms in accordance with claim 14, wherein: said life-form supporting structure is embodied in the wire mesh walls of both said nutrient cage and said crab pot structure;   the submersion step is carried out with a plurality of life-form supporting structures enclosed within a given crab pot structure to provide protection for life-forms supported on said supporting structures.   
     
     
       16. A method of husbanding the evolution of marine organisms in accordance with claim 12, wherein: said life-form supporting structure is embodied in the wire mesh walls of said nutrient cage.   
     
     
       17. A method of husbanding the evolution of marine organisms in accordance with claim 16, wherein: additional life-form supporting structure is provided by inserting dividing walls formed of plastic coated wire mesh within said crab pot structure.   
     
     
       18. A method of husbanding the evolution of marine organisms in accordance with claim 12, wherein: said nutrient cage is filled with substantially as many coated substrate support members as will fit within its confines, for the submersion step.